Pine Crest boys storm back to beat South Broward 69-45

Panthers outscore Bulldogs 23-6 in third quarter

December 20, 2012|By Steve Gorten, Sun Sentinel

CORAL SPRINGS — Trailing by eight points at halftime after facing a deficit of 13 a few minutes earlier, Pine Crest's boys basketball team stressed two things in the locker room: defense and eliminating turnovers.

Mission accomplished.

Pine Crest allowed the first basket of the second half, then closed the third quarter on a 23-4 run and didn't let up, beating South Broward 69-45 in a first-round game of the Kreul Classic at Coral Springs Gymnasium on Thursday night.

"Kalvin put us on his back in the second half and Lance has been terrific all season. He makes the key shots and really handles everything on the floor," Panthers coach David Beckerman said, adding, "Our kids refused to quit."

South Broward (7-7) took its biggest lead on Pine Crest, which has won three state titles in the past four years but returns just two starters, with a 10-0 run in the second quarter. Six Bulldogs scored in the first half, led by junior guard Konato Trowell, who scored nine of his team-high 11 in the first two quarters and continues to progress in his return from a groin injury.

"The first half was real good. The second half we just broke down," said South Broward coach Jermaine Hollis, who attributed lack of discipline in part. "The momentum just shifted. Pine Crest is a good team. You've got to play 32 minutes to beat a team like that. But I'm very encouraged. We've just got to continue to do what we're doing, work hard and play a complete game."

Cline said there was "no panic" despite a double-digit deficit late in the half.

"They came out and put it on us in the first half, but we know what we're about and we knew we had the ability to come back, so we kind of had that swagger about us," he said.

Added Crawford: "What we needed was a spark. That's what we're going to need all season — somebody to spark us, and this game it was Kalvin. He came up big."

Pine Crest will play Coral Springs Christian on Friday, hoping to avenge a loss earlier this season.

"I've been waiting for this game since the minute after we lost that game," Crawford said. "It will be totally different this time."